This invention relates to jet propelled watercraft and more particularly to an improved arrangement for permitting the clean-out of foreign articles from the flow path through the jet propulsion unit.
The use of so-called water jet propulsion units for propelling watercraft is becoming widely accepted. These jet propulsion units have a number of advantages over more conventional propeller-driven watercraft. One of these advantages is that the jet propulsion unit permits operation in relatively shallow bodies of water. Another advantage is that the jet propulsion unit can be built into a tunnel or recess formed on the underside of the hull. This gives the watercraft a neat appearance because none of the propulsion system is exposed to view. However, these advantages provide certain disadvantages.
In the first instance, because the jet propulsion unit is capable of operating in very shallow water, it is prone to the injection of foreign articles. This can cause the articles to become entangled with the impeller shaft or clog other parts of the jet pump. Furthermore, when the jet propulsion unit is mounted in the underside of the hull, the water inlet opening is not easily accessed for clean-out purposes.
It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide an improved clean-out arrangement for the jet propulsion unit of a watercraft.
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved clean-out arrangement for a jet propelled watercraft which permits accessing to the jet propulsion unit while the watercraft is still floating in the body of water.
It is yet a further object of this invention to provide an improved clean-out arrangement for a jet propelled watercraft wherein the jet propulsion unit may be cleaned from above and while the watercraft is still floating in a body of water.